The Ones We Love
by MobBob
Summary: Follow-Up to Nurse Angie: Peggy has to go under anesthesia for surgery and begins having intense hallucinations. This forces her to confront her past mistakes.


Angie sat beside Peggy's hospital bed, watching the latter tapped her fingers against the frame of the bed. Angie tried to read a book from Howard's library, _Phantastica,_ but kept getting distracted by Peggy. "I didn't realize you were so scared of going to the hospital, English."

"I don't have a problem with going to the hospital," said Peggy. "I have a problem with the idea of someone cutting me open and removing one of my organs."

"Oh come on," said Angie. "I had my appendix out when I was nine and I didn't act half as bad as you're acting right now. You'll feel better in a few days, and besides, you'll be asleep through the whole surgery. You won't feel a thing."

"That's comforting," said Peggy. "Being completely helpless while someone I just met pokes around inside me."

Angie rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay. Surgery can be kinda scary."

"Kinda?" said Peggy.

"It's just weird that you've so worked up about this," said Angie. "Considering."

"Considering what?" said Peggy.

"You know." Looked around to make sure no one was listening. "Considering your day job."

"Yes, well I would rather be pinned in a warehouse, getting shot at right now," said Peggy.

"You don't mean that," said Angie. "You must have had surgery before. When is the last time you went to the hospital?"

"I don't know," said Peggy. "It'd have to be when I was living with Colleen."

"She was your old roommate?" said Angie.

"Yeah," said Peggy. "She was always sick and she needed me to take her to the doctor's."

"What was wrong with her?" said Angie.

Peggy shrugged off the question. "How are things with you? You told me you met someone. Tell me about him."

"His name's Mark Deauxma," said Angie. "We're going to dinner. He's nice, but it's nothing serious. I'm just seeing him so my mom doesn't ask questions."

"Just give it awhile," said Peggy. "Before you know it, you two will be walking down the aisle."

Angie chuckled. "Well if that ever happens, I'll still let you visit."

"You know, I don't think I can sleep alone tonight," said Peggy. "I might need someone to take care of me."

Angie smiled. "Well I'd be more than happy to take care of you. And if you want, maybe I will-"

"Ahem." A nurse entered the room, bringing a gurney with her. "We're ready to begin."

Angie got up to leave the room. "See you when you wake up."

Peggy waved good-bye to Angie, while she was wheeled to the operating room. When they reached the operating room, Peggy was met by a doctor with a salt and pepper beard. "So Miss. Carter, are you ready for surgery?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," said Peggy.

"Are you nervous?" said the doctor.

Peggy eyed a tray of surgical instruments. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't."

"Well don't worry." The doctor put a black mask over Peggy's face. "In a little bit, you'll be fast asleep. Just take a deep breath."

The gas made Peggy dizzy and tickled the back of her throat. She soon found it hard to concentrate and felt the urge to close her eyes. Peggy took a deep breath. Anesthetics had a tendency of making people babbly and more willing to tell their secrets, something she couldn't afford to do. Peggy had been told to try to focus on something innocuous, like the Lord's Prayer. That way, if she ever started talking, all the doctors would hear was her praying, instead of classified information. Peggy began reciting it to herself. O_ur Father, which art in heaven...__hallowed be thy name, __thy kingdom come...__thy will be done, __in earth as it is in heaven...__Give us this day our daily bread, a__nd forgive us our trespasses...__as we forgive them that trespass against us..._

Peggy's eyes closed, though only briefly. They quickly fluttered opened. She saw the surgeons and nurses standing around her. Her eyes became heavy again and she was about to close them again. However, just as she was about to shut her eyes, she noticed a nurse who was holding a scalpel. Peggy could only see her eyes, something about the nurse looked familiar. She made eye contact with Peggy. Her eyes were piercing and menacing, giving Peggy an uneasy feeling. Peggy was beginning to drift off again, still musing on who the nurse was, when it hit her.

Peggy's eyes widened and she shot up, trying to escape. She was instantly seized by the nurses and doctors around her. She tried to shake them off, and she managed to shove a few aside. However there we're too many of them and they forced her back down on the table. The nurse stood over Peggy, pulling off her mask, revealing Dottie who was smiling at Peggy. "Hey Peg, how's it going?"

Peggy flailed her arms, trying to grab Dottie's neck. Dottie just casually took a step back as Peggy was restrained. Peggy tried hitting the closest doctor, who grabbed her hand and forced it down to the table. He turned to another doctor. "She's having a reaction to the anesthesia."

"Strap her down." Soon Peggy was completely immobilized. "She'll be out in a few seconds."

"Have a good night Peg." Dottie smiled as Peggy tried to say something through the mask. She advanced towards Peggy, scalpel aimed at her neck. She gently ran it across Peggy's skin, drawing some blood. Peggy shuddered as she felt the cold steel. Her eyes were heavy and she couldn't keep them open for long. The last thing she saw before everything went black was Dottie's grinning face.

* * *

When Peggy opened her eyes, she found herself sitting on a pew at church. In front of her, she saw a casket. She was at a funeral for a girl who had died. Peggy looked around. In the pew behind her, sat the family of the dead girl. They stared at her, with judging looks. Peggy got up from the pew, but their eyes followed her.

Peggy ran to avoid their looks, but they chased her. They cornered her, near a stain glass window of St. George slaying the dragon. The girl's brother and father grabbed her, dragging her in front of the stain glass window. The window rattled and the dragon broke free from it. It raised its head and turned to Peggy.

Peggy freed herself and avoided the dragon's bite. She rushed behind it and jumped out of the window. Peggy was now standing in the middle of a graveyard. The dragon was still on her heels. Peggy ran as fast as she could, but the dragon was gaining on her. Peggy tripped, landing right in front of a statue of an angel with a sword. She got to her feet, just in time to face the dragon ready to attack her. The dragon arched its neck like a snake. It struck so fast, that Peggy barely had time to dodge it. She could practically feel the dragon's scales as it rushed past her. The dragon impaled itself on the statue. Its blood splattered through the air, hitting Peggy's right side.

* * *

The next thing Peggy knew, she was laying in her hospital bed. She cautiously felt the stitches on her right side. It was still tender and she had a headache. She was also thirsty. She reached for a glass that was sitting on her nightstand, but someone else grabbed it. "Don't worry, I've got this."

"Thanks Angie..." Peggy looked up to see that the person filling her glass with water was not Angie, but Colleen. Peggy's first instinct was to jump as far away from her as she could, ignoring the pain in her side. She fell off the bed and onto the floor. Colleen got up and went over to help Peggy. Peggy backed up against the wall. "Oh god! Oh god! You can't be here. You can't be here. It's..."

Colleen put her hand on Peggy. "It's the drugs Peggy. You've just come out of surgery and you need your rest."

Colleen put Peggy's arm over her shoulder and lifted her back on the bed. She went over to Peggy's nightstand and picked up the glass of water, handing it to Peggy. Peggy didn't take the glass at first, instead staring at Colleen, who held it out for her. Eventually, Peggy took the glass and drank it. Colleen took the glass when she was done with it and sat down. Peggy continued to stare at her, taking her in for the first time in along time. For the most part, Colleen was exactly how Peggy remembered her. Bright, warm, smiling, but also a little fragile. Soon, Colleen started to look a little uncomfortable, and Peggy had to stop.

"So, are you feeling any better?" said Colleen.

Peggy rubbed her eyes. "Yes, a little better. I've still got a headache."

"That should go away in a little while," said Colleen.

"How are you here?" said Peggy. "You were-"

"How was it?" said Colleen.

"How was what?" said Peggy.

"Last night," said Colleen. "You went out and you said you'd tell me all about it, but you never did. So, how was it? Did you have fun?"

"Yes, I had fun," said Peggy.

Colleen leaned forward. "What'd ya do?"

"I went to a club," said Peggy.

"Did you meet someone?" said Colleen.

"Yes actually," said Peggy. "The club's owner, a man named Spider."

"Spider?" Colleen grinned. "I'm afraid to ask, how was he?"

"Very...hands on," said Peggy. "He tried to steal a kiss from me."

"And how'd you take it?" said Colleen.

"I knocked him out," said Peggy.

Colleen broke out laughing. Peggy missed her laugh. "Well Peggy, I can't say I'm surprised. You were always feisty."

"Was I?" said Peggy. "I thought you were the one telling me to relax and let my hair down."

"And was I wrong," said Colleen.

"No," said Peggy.

"Yeah, it sounded like you had a lot of fun," said Colleen. "Next time maybe you could bring me along."

Upon hearing this, Peggy broke down crying. Colleen embraced Peggy and stroked her hair. "I'm sorry. Look, I didn't mean anything by it. Just calm down. I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry," said Peggy. "It's all my fault."

"No it's not," said Colleen. "You weren't the one who pulled the trigger. You couldn't have done anything to save me."

"But I put you in danger," said Peggy. "I should have told you. You would have known what you were getting yourself into."

"It wouldn't have made a difference," said Colleen. "I wasn't going to throw you out on the street."

"Maybe you should have," said Peggy. "You would be alive right now."

Colleen pulled Peggy to her chest. "Peggy, you need to understand that this wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was," said Peggy.

"No it wasn't." Colleen stroked Peggy's hair. "But if you still don't believe me, I have to tell you something."

"What?" said Peggy.

"I forgive you." Colleen kissed Peggy's forehead and got up.

Peggy reached out for her arm. "Wait, don't go!"

"I'm not leaving. I'm right here, English." Peggy realized that she was no longer talking to Colleen, but to Angie, who was holding her in her arms. "Shhhhh. You've just had a bad dream."

Peggy looked around, taking in her hospital room. She was on the floor and Colleen was nowhere to be seen. Angie picked up Peggy and laid her down on the bed. "Relax, everything's fine. I'm here for you."

Angie went over to Peggy's nightstand and grabbed a glass of water. She handed the glass to Peggy. "Thanks."

"No problem," said Angie. Peggy finished her drink and handed it back to Angie. Peggy rested her head on her pillow. "So, are you feeling any better?"

"Yes, a lot better," said Peggy.

"Good." Angie went over to her bed and lifted the sheets over her. "I'm going to be gone for just a second. Are you fine without me?"

"Yes, I'll manage," said Peggy.

Angie kissed Peggy on the forehead. "Try to get some sleep."

"I will." Peggy closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.


End file.
